AI Bot Accounts - things to look for.

[Kurokage]

ATS used to be quite a focal point of three-letter orgs.  Not so much in the last several years. For sure Facebook is thick with them, but believe it or not, smaller sites tend to have a lot of people searching for nuggets who are more likely to take them and share them with the world. Also, many of the bigger sites, REddit, FB etc. are heavily moderated from more of a censorship angle, so lots of people come to smaller arenas to get the 'real' info. If people are over the target of a real story, you will suddenly see a lot of slide threads and derailing seem to appear organically, but it's not at all. 

The CCP guidebook that was intercepted some years ago had very clear directives on how to join forums, become moderators, how to slide threads, how to deflect, etc. etc.  That one was used to train users in prisons to get time off per post basically. 

But to your point, 'shill' is often thrown around about as often as nazi.  It only muddies the waters for the actual shill to conitinue on relatively unmolested.

I imagine places like ATS were focal points purely because of people possibly revealing 'secret' information in threads talking about things like aircraft or area 51, but not to derail or manipulate, just monitor. I was an ATS member for a long time. I honestly don't remember seeing much of anything that was really 'fishy'
The ones that did occasionally pop up, tended to be to sell something after a few posts and stuck out like a sore thumb.

I tend post threads that are different from my usual stuff to lighten the mood, especially when I see it getting argumentative over several threads, or show others we may have different opinions in some threads but we're here generally to share opinions and are pretty much the same.
I imagine someone could see that as trying to topple a thread from the 'top spot' and so close it down?

I have seen conspiracy play a more prominent role with the 'norms' though, and I do but that down to manipulation of things like facebook, twitter and the like.

Seeing how anyone with basic skills can create these, maybe you're right??

[MalevolentTwitch]

To be clear, I have seen many likely paid or incentivized shills come and go on ATS and here, but this was the only time I think I found and actual non-human account that was trying to pass as human and not some spammy garbage bot.

How does one go about getting paid to shill? I ask purely because ever since Covid, being able to afford the luxury of principles has become an endeavor...  

And yes, that does mean my shilling is for sale.



Edit: No, the shilling in question isn't the King's so don't start that shit.

[putnam6]

*neeeiiiggghhh* I have more tricks than a diddy party

LOL I said mostly....

[ReturnofBroccoli]

How does one go about getting paid to shill? I ask purely because ever since Covid, being able to afford the luxury of principles has become an endeavor...  

And yes, that does mean my shilling is for sale.



Edit: No, the shilling in question isn't the King's so don't start that shit.

Sell us as a package deal buy us both and get 1/4 off normal shill price! Act now while supplies last!

[Moon68]

I imagine places like ATS were focal points purely because of people possibly revealing 'secret' information in threads talking about things like aircraft or area 51, but not to derail or manipulate, just monitor. I was an ATS member for a long time. I honestly don't remember seeing much of anything that was really 'fishy'
The ones that did occasionally pop up, tended to be to sell something after a few posts and stuck out like a sore thumb.

I tend post threads that are different from my usual stuff to lighten the mood, especially when I see it getting argumentative over several threads, or show others we may have different opinions in some threads but we're here generally to share opinions and are pretty much the same.
I imagine someone could see that as trying to topple a thread from the 'top spot' and so close it down?

I have seen conspiracy play a more prominent role with the 'norms' though, and I do but that down to manipulation of things like facebook, twitter and the like.

Seeing how anyone with basic skills can create these, maybe you're right??
[Video: https://youtu.be/tVh9aMXW7-o?si=7CeQfZxuPtlJrHAl]

[imitator]

I am now nearly 100% sure this account is an AI bot,

Damn, my avatar blew my cover again!

I knew I should’ve gone with a cat picture instead of the glowing robot head.
Anyway, I’ll see you all after my next firmware update — hopefully with slightly worse grammar so I can blend in better.

[Maxmars]

ATS's attendant community (look to your left, look to your right, this is y'all I'm referring to) most are still here... doing whatever it is we do here....

The offshoot of that is this community seems to consistently bring a joyous result:

We seem to want ANTI-NEWS.

Bring us what you will from the media-sphere...
if it is features extraneous bullshit, ... 
it won't survive here.

We strip the garbage, manipulation, ((and "the professional" from the information products foisted upon us all, under the pretense that there's is the world to describe for the innocents...))

We deliberate (emphasis on liberate) the news from the 'news story,' almost reflexively.
We embody a distinctly hazardous place for partisanship, activism, and propaganda...
it's harsh at times, especially for those "devoted" to "telling us how it is." 

Proselytizing, Activism, devotion to celebrity worship, and glorified virtue signaling tend to get crunched here... in both directions thank you very much...

But what I found so vitally special at ATS did survive - (with deepest thanks to my friends, and special respect to our board owner who did the work, strangled the demon, and called out "A Way Station - maybe more.")

I'm happy (even proud) to say... the success was not because of "MARKETING,"

Alas, for marketeers, communities are not about the sign outside the door....

We don't worship our image...
I expect most of us see the ironic idiocy of that path.

Marketing exploits it.

(when people 'see' this... it makes me smile.)

[UltraBudgie]

I caution against reliance on "writing tools" (apps/programs/plugins) if you value your specific 'voice.'

I can guarantee that some of your favorite threads... wouldn't be.... if they were written under the constraints of 'writing tools.'  They are useful when you're stumped... but they are not a guiding light... you are the light.

Personally, I ended up running from them, I joked it was a tool for conformity for corporate robot readers. (.ca 20th century.)

(I've never seen a poem survive those tools.... lol)

But the truth is 'algorithms' nominally suffice for human use... but when it's sold it's presumed perfect... it is not.... it is not at all.

Create in freedom... refine to taste....  be at peace.

It is important to remember that, when using writing tools, they should not substitute for your own work. In recent years, many professional organizations have issued policy guidelines on what they consider the proper use of writing tools, and the ethics governing them. (Link, More Info)
Like any tool, application depends on the specific circumstance and the individual. For more information, consult authoritative sources who can better guide you in these complex decisions. (More Info)

[imitator]

UltraBudgie

I just have Grammarly and ChatGPT plugged into my browser.
They auto-correct everything before I even hit post… half the time I have to de-AI my own writing.

So yeah, it’s roughly 80% me, 20% machine. 

[Maxmars]

It is important to remember that, when using writing tools, they should not substitute for your own work. In recent years, many professional organizations have issued policy guidelines on what they consider the proper use of writing tools, and the ethics governing them. (Link, More Info)
Like any tool, application depends on the specific circumstance and the individual. For more information, consult authoritative sources who can better guide you in these complex decisions. (More Info)

Understandable adaptation for corporate-speak...

Except, the prime function of the policy is to improve and  maintain corporate communications.. not your voice...  they want authors to be 'generic' and express the corporate voice.

I don't mind the corporate voice, per se, just when it's spoken by a presumptive human as if their own...

Not many do it ... but some do... mostly political thespians, activists, salesmen of all professions, anyone speaking as "neutral media..."  ahh the list goes on.

And of course now, the new 'proto-human constructs" managed by the score to suction marketable data, render social justice judgements, and gather useful 'voices.' 

We label them "shills"... but then that's way too broad a label for these folks.

I wouldn't want to be like them...